Combined condensing and evaporating apparatus



0. SIMMEN Jan. 29, 1935.

COMBINED CONDENSING AND EVAPORATING APPARATUS File-i Dec. 22, 1932 2 Sheets- Sheet 1 Jan. 29, 1935. o. SIMMEN 1,989,430

COMBINED CONDENSING AND EVAPORATING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 22, 1952 Z'Sheets-Sheet 2 l 0 L IN\/ NTDR:

m/ @WMMWWQBIQWM x -may Patented Jan. 29, 1935 COMBINED .CONDENSING AND EVAPORAT- ING APPARATUS Oscar Simmen, Erlach, Switzerland, assignor to the firm of Sulzer Freres. Socit Anonyme,

Winterthur, Switzerland Application December 22, 1932', Serial No. 648,381 In Switzerland December 24, 1931 9 Claims. (01. 62-115) This invention relates to combined condensing and evaporating apparatus more particularly for use in refrigerating machines and." of the kind in which the evaporator and condenser, each comprising a plurality of tubes, are arranged one a unit roughly the-liquid refrigerant within the evaporator, and

therefore the volume occupied by vapourized re- Y frigerant, can be maintained substantially constant and in addition the apparatus is rendered suitable for use with compressors of the rotary Two constructions of apparatusxaccordingto the invention are illustrated diagrammatically andby way of example the, accompanying drawings, in which Figures 1 and 2 are longitudinal and transverse sections respectively of one construction.

Figure 3 illustrates, also in side elevation, another construction fas applied to a refrigerating machine, parts being cut away. V

' Figure 4 isa transverse section of the construc' tion shown in Figure 3, viewed from left to right,

and a Figure 5. shows in' sectionone construction of end cover or cap closing. one end of the evaporator.

.The apparatus illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 comprises an evaporator l and a condenser 2 each comprising a .number of tubes and arranged one within the other, as hereinafter described, to form a unit roughly cylindrical in out-line. The cylindrical unit is,"as shown, arranged with its longitudinal axis horizontal the tubes of the evaporator .and of the condenser being substantially parallel to the said longitudinal axis. The evaporator 1 is arranged within the condenser 2 so that the evaporator is surrounded by the'condenser as clearly shown in Figure 2. r

The condenser-2 has an outer wall 3 and an inner wall 4 which is separated from the wall 5 ofthe evaporator '1 by a wall 6 of heat insulating material. The two ends of the evaporator 1 are closed by end caps or covers 7 and 8 respectively whilst the two ends of the condenser 2 are closed byannular end caps 9 and 10, each of which is constituted by a series of segmental members of channel section.

. The tubes 11 of the evaporator-are so arranged within the casing 5 that each tube is surrounded by a space or jacket through'which the refrigerant flows. Thus, brine circulated through the interior of' the tubes 11 is cooled by the surrounding refrigerant and is'delivered through an outlet 12 to the cooling rcircuit where it absorbsheat after which it entersan inlet 13 and again flows through theevaporator'tubes "11. 1

Cooling water is'suppliedthrough a waterinlet 14 to the condenser 2 which comprises a number of tubes 15so arranged' between the walls 3 and 4 that they are surrounded by. a space or jacket through whichirefrigerant can flow. Thus the cooling water 'entering'the Waterinlet' 14: flows through the tubes 15 in series-parallel to a'water outlet 16, the water receivingheat'from the' refrigerant outside the tubes 15. v

The' refrigerating medium, such for example. as

, ammonia, enters the pipe 1'? in the form of vapour and is condensed by the cooling water in the tubes 15, the liquid refrigerant collecting in thebase, 18 (Figure'2) of the condenser. Liquid refrigerat-, ing medium passes from the condenser through a pipe 19 to a device 20 for regulating the supply ofrefrigerant to the evaporator, the refrigerant expanding and thus cooling as it passes through the regulating device whence the refrigerant passes a pipe 21 into the evaporator l. The refrigerant, evaporating in the evaporator, absorbs heat from the brine which is flowingthrough'the' tubes 11 and then flows out through an outlet-22 to a compressor (not shown). The refrigerant, compressed by the compressor, again enters through the inlet 17. The regulatingvalve 20 may be controlled as by mean'sof a float actuated valve, the float being controlled in accordance. with the level of the liquid refrigerant withiffthe evaporator. I i With a view to recoverin'g such lubricant as passes into the appar'atuswith the refrigerant the condenser isprovided with an internal wall23 between Which and the inlet 17 is a space 24 1moccupied by tubes. Thus the speed of flow of the refrigerant entering through the pipe 17. is. reduced within the space 24 so that oile'ntering with the refrigerant settles andis trapped as.in-, dicated at 31. The oil thus trapped flows through the pipe 25 to the points of lubrication of the compressor. Any oil which does not settle out from the refrigerant or which overflows-through the pipe 32 passes with the refrigerantto the evaporator where it collects in an oil sump 26 furnished with a covering diaphragm 27 whereby return of the oil from the sump 26 {to the refrigerant in the evaporator is prevented. Oil from the sump 26 passes through a pipe 28 to the compressor.

In the refrigerating machine illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 a compressor K and its driving motor M are carried by the cylindrical unit formed by the evaporator l and condenser 2. The compressor K and motor M are mounted on a common bed-plate G which is saddle-shaped and straddles the cylindrical unit as clearly shown in Figure 4;. The bed-plate G is resiliently mounted on and electrically insulated from the cylindrical unit by providing grooves 29 at each end of the bedplate which grooves receive rubber cords 33.. In addition rubber pins or studs (not shown are provided on the cylindrical unit or onthe bed-plate G to engage sockets in the bed-plate G or in the cylindrical unit, thereby preventing the bedplate from sliding downwards out ofposition.

Cooling water fed through the inlet llflows through the condenser tubes 15 and is discharged from the condenser at 16. The tubes 11, which are arranged parallel to the horizontal axis of' Circulation of brine through the tubes 11 is ef-' fected by means of a pump P driven by a motor'm, the brine pump P and its driving motor being mounted directly upon the cover 7 at one end of the evaporator which projects, as shown, from the adjacent end of the condenser. The brine cooled in the evaporator 1 is delivered through the outlet 12 to the cooling circuit from which it again passes into the evaporator through the inlet 13. As in the construction above described the refrigerant, such for example as ammonia, flows around the tubes 11 and 15 through the interior of which flows the brine and cooling water respectively. If desired the brine pump P, insteadof'being driven by a separate motor such as m, may be driven by the driving motor M of the compressor K. The refrigerant is drawn into the compressor K through an intake 34 Figure 4), is compressed anddelivered to the condenser through the pipe 17 which is flexible to allow slight relative movement between the compressor and the cylindrical unit. After having taken up heat from the brine in the evaporator the refrigerant again passes to the compressor through the flexible pipe 22. Oil for'lubricating the compressor K and for sealing purposes flows partly from the separator 31 through the pipe 25, and partly from the sump 26 through the pipe 28 from which the flow of oil is induced by an induction device S.

In the construction illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 the regulating device 20 comprises a valve 40 controlled by a float which is actuated in accordance with the liquid level in a chamber communicating with the evaporator through a pressure equalizing pipe 41, the valve 40 being thus regulated in accordance with the level of the liquid refrigerant within the evaporator. The control liquid within the float chamber is such that it does not boil even when the refrigerant within the evaporator has reached boiling point. In the construction shown in Figures 3 and 4 lubricant from the sump 26 is employed, this lubricant being supplied to the float chamber through a pipe 43', whereby steady operation of the control device 20 is ensured. 7 'If desired, the brine pump and its driving motor may be housed in one of the end covers of the evaporator. Thus, as shown, for example chamber.

in Figure 5, the end cover 7, which may be suitably insulated, serves as a housing both for a brine pump 45 in the form of an impeller and for its driving motor m, the shaft of the pump 45 being arranged so as to be coaxial with the horizontal axis of the cylindricalunit. The casing of the motor m is provided with'a flanged portion 46 which serves as an outer cover for the pump Brine enters through the inlet 13 in the'cover 7 and, after cooling in the evaporator, passes out. through th'eioutlet 12.

It will be understood that details of construction and of arrangement may be modified. Thus, for example, instead of arranging the evaporator within the condenser, the condenser may be arranged within the evaporator, these two parts of the apparatus being suitably insulated one from the other.

It willbe seen that refrigerating plant embodying the invention may be completed at works, filled withrefrigerant and lubricant and erected as a unit where it is to be employed. Automatic electricsafety apparatus not;hereindescribed may ;be.conveniently carried by the cy-v lindrical unit. The work of installing apparatus according to the invention is thus reduced to the provision of a simple foundation, such as that indicated at 44 in Figure .4,;connecting the motor or motors tosupplymains' and making the'necessary connections to the cooling'water and brine couplings. 1

When, as in the constructionherein described the evaporator is arranged withinthe condenser itis unnecessary to insulate the cylindrical unit from the surrounding atmosphere. Thus the compressor and its driving motor may be safely. mounted on the cylindrical'unit and this unit mounted on its foundation without impairing effective. insulation.

I claimr 'z, 1 1. In a condensing and evaporating apparatus particularly for use in refrigerating machines-in combination av condenser "comprising; tubes and forming the outer portionlof a closed cylindrical unit, an evaporatorhaving tubespassingthe'se through and being arranged within'said :condenser and forming the inner portion of said cylindrical unit, the longitudinal axis of said unit as well as" the longitudinal axisof' said condenser tubes and that of said evaporator tubes being arranged horizontally, so that the liquid level'in the condenser is below the evaporator in order that no liquid will run into the evaporator-when the refrigerating machine isnot operating, and the whole apparatus is rendered suitable for use with compressors of the rotary type.

2. An apparatus as set. forth' in claim 1 in which a wall of heat insulating material ispro vided between said condenser and said'evaporator.

3. An apparatus asset forth in claim 1 in which said inner portion 'ofsaidcylindrical' unit is formed as an evaporator and said outer portion of saidunit' is formed as a condenser. a

4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which said condenser and said evaporator are formed as tube containing apparatus, and in which the refrigerating medium of the evaporator is outside of said tubes and the cooling water of the condenserwithin said tubes.

5'. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which two juxta-positioned tubes of said con-' denser are arranged in a greater distance from each other than the other tubes, so as to form'a space through which refrigerating medium will flow at reduced speed, and a trap arranged within said space for collecting lubricant carried by the refrigerant.

6. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which a compressor and a driving motor therefor both are carried by said cylindrical unit which thus serves as a base for said compressor and said motor.

'7. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which a compressor and a driving motor therefor are mounted upon a saddle-like bed-plate straddling said cylindrical unit which thus serves as a base for said compressor and said motor.

8. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which a compressor and a driving motor therefor both are mounted upon said cylindrical unit and a brine pump is combined with said cylindrical unit so that a uniform aggregate is obtained.

9. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which a compressor and a driving motor therefor are resiliently mounted on and electrically insulated from said cylindrical unit and flexible pipes are provided for establishing communication between said compressor and said cylindrical unit.

10. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which said evaporator extends beyond said condenser and a brine pump and a regulator valve are connected to the portion of said evaporator extending beyond-said condenser.

11. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which a compressor and a driving motor therefor both are mounted upon said cylindrical unit and in which said evaporator extends beyond said condenser, a brine pump and a regulator valve being connected to the portion of saidevaporator extending beyond said condenser.

12. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which a compressor and a driving motor therefor both are mounted upon said cylindrical unit and a brine pump is directly connected to a cover closing one end of said evaporator.

13. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which a compressor and a driving motor therefor both are mounted upon said cylindrical unit and a valve controlled by a float is provided for regulating the flow of refrigerant to said evaporator, said float being arranged within a chamber containing a controlling liquid for said float which will not boil even when the refrigerant within said evaporator has reached its boiling point and which has a specific gravity greater than that of the refrigerant.

' 14. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which a compressor and a driving motor therefor both are mounted upon said cylindrical unit and a valve controlled by a float is provided for regulating the flow of refrigerant to said evaporator, said float being arranged within a chamber containing lubricant employed in said apparatus and serving for controlling said float.

15. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which a compressor and a driving motor therefor both are mounted upon said cylindrical unit and a brine pump is housed within a cap closing one end of said evaporator.

16. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which a compressor and a driving motor therefor both are mounted upon said cylindrical unit and in which said evaporator extends beyond said condenser, a brine pump and a regulator valve being connected to the portion of said evaporator extending beyond said. condenser, the axis of said brine pump being eccentrically arranged to the axis of said cylindrical unit.

17. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which a compressor and a driving motor therefor both are mounted upon said cylindrical unit and in which said evaporator extends beyond said condenser, a brine pump and a regulator Valve being connected to the portion of said evaporator extending beyond said condenser, the axis of said brine pump being concentrically arranged to the axis of said cylindrical unit.

18. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which a compressor and a driving motor therefor both are mounted upon said cylindrical unit and a brine pump is directly connected to a cover closing one end of said evaporator, a motor drivlng said brine'pump being inserted in a cover which serves for closing a housing containing said brine pump.

19. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which a compressor and a driving motor therefor both are carried by said cylindrical unit and a brine pump combined with said cylindrical unit, said brine pump being driven by said motor driving said compressor.

OSCAR SIMMEN. 

